Anonymous Comment
Anonymous AnonymousOpposeIndividual
Summary: The commenter argues that the Department of the Interior's (DOI) new regulations regarding NAGPRA impose an expensive and unfunded mandate on parks, universities, and museums. They request that the DOI align its regulations more closely with the original bipartisan law and improve public communication regarding the removal of items from state collections.
DOI recently extended its interpretation of NAGPRA, a federal law guiding the return of buried and sacred items and individuals to federally recognized native nations. The new DOI regulations put an expensive, hurried, and unfunded mandate on parks, universities, and museums, and go far beyond the bipartisan law. DOI should review their regulations to be in line with Congress and not over-interpret the law. The removal of any items from state collections should also be communicated to the American public in clear ways beyond the federal register.